For the Birds: A Novel
About this ebook
Samantha doesn’t think much about birds. To her, they’re just noisy creatures she and her cat, Furball, enjoy chasing.
But everything changes when her mysterious neighbor, Ms. Phoebe Merganser, takes Samantha on a journey unlike any she has ever imagined. Suddenly Samantha finds herself transformed into a bird and embarking on an epic migration.
From the forests of Canada across North America and deep into the Amazon rainforest, Samantha experiences the world as birds do: facing storms, predators, and the many dangers created by humans along the way.
As Samantha flies farther than she ever thought possible, she begins to understand a powerful truth: when birds are in danger, the whole planet is at risk.
This beautifully reimagined edition features sumptuous full-color illustrations throughout, a new foreword by Margaret Atwood herself, and fascinating nonfiction notes by the Urban Birder, David Lindo.
Blending adventure, imagination, and environmental insight, For the Birds is a timeless story about nature, responsibility, and the fragile connections that bind all living things from one of the world’s most celebrated authors.
Discover more
About the author
Margaret Atwood is one of the world’s most celebrated writers. The author of more than 50 books of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, she is best known for novels including The Handmaid’s Tale, Alias Grace, and the MaddAddam trilogy. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages and has received numerous international honors. Atwood is the winner of the Booker Prize, which she has received twice: first for The Blind Assassin and again for The Testaments. Her many other awards include the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, and the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award. A lifelong birdwatcher and passionate environmental advocate, Atwood brings her love of nature and keen ecological insight to For the Birds, a story that reflects her enduring concern for the natural world. Júlia Sardà is an illustrator from Barcelona. She began her career as a colorist in a studio making editorial merchandise for Disney and Disney Pixar. Two years later she bravely set off on her own as a freelance illustrator. She began working on concept art for video games where she honed her own style and developed her vision. Now she works mostly in children’s illustration and has had the pleasure of illustrating some of her favorite classics, including Alice in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. David Lindo, also known as the Urban Birder, is a writer, broadcaster, photographer, and educator. Through his broad array of work, he strives to inspire people to engage with birds in urban environments. He was awarded the prestigious H. H. Bloomer Award 2021 from the Linnean Society of London for his work making biological sciences accessible to all. Based in the UK, he is a proud ambassador for Leica Birding, London Wildlife Trust, and Birding For All, and is involved in many other nature conservation and wildlife organizations.
